ii-V-I: A JassOdyssey

Miles and Roland travel along the Chitlin' Circuit in pursuit of someone who stole something from them. During their odyssey while traversing time and place, Roland gets a chance to reacquaint himself with past and present jazz legends, and Miles gets a chance to learn about this great American art form.

Like so many young men in Harlem, Miles wants to be a hip-hop artist. But a chance encounter with a future nemesis during a rainstorm propels his life in an unexpected direction. Not only does his foe steal his newly-repaired horn, but also a ring with special powers that belongs to his Uncle Roland. Aided by his uncle, a jazz journeyman, he embarks on a mystical musical odyssey. Traveling along the Chitlin’ Circuit, they traverse time and place to visit jazz heroes, old and new. Miles learns about one of America’s greatest art forms and dreams of furthering his musical education. Yet throughout this upbeat trip through time, his fiendish foe waits for a chance to settle an old score. The book series will chronicle Miles’ and his uncle’s exploits as they travel across the country and other parts of the globe to locate their adversary and recoup their stolen belongings.

J.A. Rollins is a product of the Maryland public school system. He was introduced to music at an early age. After mastering the saxophone, he played in a number of neighborhood bands, and started playing professionally as a teen. Initially he played R&B, but was introduced to jazz by a self-taught musician neighbor who assisted him. Though he went off to college and got a number of professional degrees, he never forgot the jazz music that was highly influential in his life. After spending a successful career in medicine, he returned to his musical roots. His new goal, like that of Miles the protagonist in the story, is to rebuild old horns, supply them to kids in the neighborhood and teach them how to play.